The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out

This is an excellent book that I will have my graduate students studying higher education policy read.However, it does not exam the longer term, bigger changes likely from the new age of information.For thousands of years information was scarce and historically controlled by the government or church as a form of power. Universities came out of churches with professors talking more like a priest preaching than any type of real joint search for truth.We have moved beyond that and today's best colleges and universities create learning environments focused on higher order critical thinking skills, information search and presentation, and more than just the old fashioned talking head professor.We are now in a totally new age of information abundance. The Internet makes available all of the data and information of the ages, and lively viewpoints from around the world. This paradigm shift will lead to a top/bottom transformation of learning at all levels.Universities, and even more K12 education, must move to embrace this ability to permit students to learn based on their passion of the moment, provide "Just-In-Time" information and lessons, and try their conclusions out on a world wide blog.I, and others, have been pointing to this much more dramatic change in education for decades. We have the ability today to keep the intense learning mode of a new born baby learning to walk, asking why and learning at an incredible rate. Humans are born 'learning machines' who want to know it all, right away.That baby learns fast and only slows down when adults (parents and teachers) start answering the why question with "because, shut up". The adults inability to keep up with the inquisitive mind has limited all of our learning for ages.New technology and tools can be combined with new methods, organizations, and give the world a chance to really improve the quality and universiality of its human capital expansion.(I am a PhD tenured Professor of Business and Economics who has taught for over 40 years. I was on the both the Colorado State Board of Education, and later the State Community College board. see more at [...])

I have been in and out of academe throughout my career. I have managed and built technology in the private and public sector. I have seen disruption up close and personal. I have been in Fortune 500 companies and started companies. Throughout all this I have seen people overstate and understate disruptive influences (e.g., technology, production methods, marketing and sales techniques, organizational trends...). As I have read some of the reviews for this book the same simple mindedness comes through.Those who believe academe is about to be eviscerated by technology or anything else really does not understand strategy or technology or the application of either. Nor have they read the news of late. Understanding why something is the way it is requires understanding history of the thing to be changed. It also requires a thoughtful framework for processing both internal and external factors on a firm. Mr. Christensen has shown the resilience of his thinking about disruptive innovation by its application in consulting and writing across a wide variety of industries and economies. The continued demand for his writing and consulting and speaking attests to this resilience of thought. Few have influenced the breadth and depth of national and global companies and economies like Mr. Christensen. Certainly not since Peter Drucker.Being part of a Research 1 university and having been part of universities, large and small, private and public, an author and publisher for higher education, and continuing to be on a variety of advisory groups to higher ed all I can say is if you want to have a rigorous way of thinking about the future of academe - BUY THIS BOOK!!! No need to say more.

In this long and informative book, Dr. Christensen reviews the evolution of Harvard's system of higher education in great historical detail, and argues why their current system, established around 1860s, is now totally ready for disruption by Online education. He also heaps much praise on BYU-Idaho, DeVry's and other universities for creating a new model of higher education that is different from trying to emulate Harvard. Most of the book reads like a novel, and I was able to read it in a couple of days. There are many sidebars and tables to capture the essence of the message.There are a lot of aha moments in this book for anyone in higher education field; many of the things than seem natural in any university today, like the courses numbering and electives system, were a thoughtful response by Harvard to challenges faced at some point in time. Some of those initiatives have their own unintended consequences such as a complete fragmentation of a typical student's college experience and wildly escalating cost structure. Online education promises to solve the challenges of costs of higher education and expanding access, while also preserving the quality of learning experience.Read also `The Idea of the Digital University' to get another perspective on the challenges to the higher education model and a new vision where more of the university activities are digital and centered around student learning.

Fast service. Book is topic specific so not a general read, but a good read if interested in the university education

the book has pages in the middle that have not been properly cut and are sticking up out side of the shape of the bookdisappointed with the quality control?

Voilà comment recycler et vendre une idée encore et encore. Le concept d'innovation De Christensen utilisé pour révolutionner l'université. Sauf que voilà, il n'y a pas grand chose à dire. par contre c'est un bel ouvrage pour connaitre l'histoire de Harvard...

He obviously has not run a large public university.